Absorption refrigerating apparatus



March 3, 1942. I Nj ERLAND AF LEEN 2,275,031

ABSORPTION REFRIGERAT ING APPARATUS Original Filed July 16, 1937INVENTOR.

J ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1942 Nils Erlaml af Kleen, Stockholm, SwedenOriginal application July 16, 1937, Serial No.

and this application November 20, 1940, Serial No. 366,324. In GreatBritain July 23, 1936 6 Claims. (Cl. 62118) This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in absorption and adsorption refrigeratingapparatus of the intermittent type including a boiler absorbercontaining dry salts -or other materials capable of absorbingrefrigerant in gaseous form during the absorbing phase operation and ofexpelling such refrigerant during the generating orexpulsion phaseoperation of the unit, the present application being or prior to beingplaced into use, the refrigerant ends to collect in liquid form in theevaporator, and in the event the unit is inverted or tipped over to theside as is frequently the casewhen transporting the same from place toplace, the liquid refrigerant then flows through the connecting pipesinto the boiler absorber, especially when the evaporator is located atabout the same level or below the level of the boiler absorber.

a, division of my co-pending application Serial 10 It is thereforeanother object of the present No. 154,090, filed July 16, 1937, coveringAbsorpinvention to provide means'for preventing the tion and adsorptionrefrigerating apparatus. liquid refrigerant from coming into contactwith For convenience of reference, the terms "abthe absorbent materialin the event the unit is sorption and absorber hereinafter mentionedaccidentally tipped or is inverted. will be used to include adsorption"and ad- According to the invention, there is provided sorber. Similarly,the expression dry salts in the closed system for'the refrigerant aliquid will be used to include other materials capable trap or othersuitable means interposed either of absorbing or adsorbing gaseousrefrigerant. between the condenser and the boiler absorber orConsiderable difliculty has been encountered in between the condenserand the evaporator end of the operation of refrigerators of the typeabove the unit, which will prevent any liquid refrigerant mentioned, andl have found that this has been present in the evaporator from flowingback to due to the return to the boiler absorber 0f qua the boilerabsorber and contacting the dry salts titles of the refrigerant inliquid form. When therein, coming into contact with the salts in theboiler With the above and other objects in view which absorber, theliquid marbleizes the salts and 2.", will appear as the descriptionproceeds, my ingreatly reduces the effectiveness of such salts forvention resides in a novel feature hereinafter set further absorption.Moreover, the liquid exforth, illustrated in the accompanying drawingpands or swellsthe salts far beyond their norand more particularlypointed out in the apmal expansion produced when absorbing vapor pendedclaim refrigerants. With the result 13 4 the a O the so Referring to thedrawing which illustrates diaboiler absorber are distorted by suchabnormally grammatically an absorption refrigerating unit expandedsalts, and leaks develop therein. It including boiler, absorber,condenser, accumutherefore becomes necessary to shut down the later andevaporator with one form of liquid trap unit and replace the boilerabsorber with a new interposed between the condenser and the boiler onecontaining a fresh charge of dry salts. absorber.

One of the primary objects of this invention iii designates a boilerabsorber in the form of is to overcome the above noted disadvantages ina cylindrical shell in which are disposed a plurefrigerating apparatusof this type andto prorality of annular trays ll containing dry saltsvide means for preventing the feeding back of or other absorbentmaterial 5 The shell it is liquid into the boiler absorber. providedcentrally thereof with a flue it forheat- The refr at n unit in absorptn systems ing the boiler absorber, for example, by means of usuallycomprises in addition to the boiler aba gas-burner it. During thisheating the resorber. a condenser, and an evaporator, all coufrigerantis expelled from the boiler absorber pled together and forming a closedsystem or cirthrough line 55, which extends downwardly from cuit for therefrigerant. In the normal opera- 4 5 the upper portion thereof andterminates in an tion of the unit, heat is applied to the boiler"inverted. U-bend it in a chamber ll. From this absorber during thegenerating or expulsion pe chamber the refrigerant vapors are conductedrlod to drive out the gaseous refrigerant and the through line it fromthe bottom of the chamlatter passes through an outlet pipe to the conher into a condenser 59, where such vapors are denser Where it iscondensed and the condensate 6O condensed and the condensate deliveredto an flows to the evaporator. During the absorption accumulator orcollecting tank 20. An evaporator period, the refrigerant returns in--vapor form 2| in the form of a coil leads from the bottom of from theevaporator to the boiler absorber to be accumulator 20; and terminatesat its opposite absorbed by the dry salts. However, after the end incommunication with the upper portion of unit has been turned off for anylength of time,

said accumulator.

- A pipe 22, opening in communication with the upper portion of chamberll, extends upwardly therefrom and terminates in communication with aclosed vessel 23. Thus, in the event the be understood that the vessel23 is constructed of such-dimension as to be capable of containing theentire refrigerant in its liquid form which circulates in the system.

When the unit is returned to upright or normal position, the liquidrefrigerant collected in vessel 23 returns to the evaporator 2| throughthe pipe 22, chamber ll, pipe l8, condenser l9, and accumulator 20. Theoperation of the unit is the same as that described in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 154,090. As shown in the drawing of the presentapplication, the unit is operating in the expulsion phase and the burneri4 is on in order to heat the boiler absorber ll, thereby driving outthe refrigerant vapors absorbed by the dry salts l2. The expelled vaporsflow through pipe l5 into chamber l1, and from this chamber pass throughthe condenser H! where they are condensed and collect in accumulator 20.For the absorption phase period of the unit, the burner I4 is shut downand the boiler absorber II is cooled by any suitable means not shown.The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 20 then returns in vaporform to the boiler absorber to be absorbed by the dry salts.

While I have shown the liquid trap formed by the chamber I1, pipe 22,and vessel 23, interposed in the connecting pipe l5 between the boilerabsorber H and the. condenser 119, said trap may be interposed in theunit between the condenser l9 and the accumulator 20. Further more,while the unit shown in the drawing includes an accumulator 20, incertain units the accumulator may be dispensed with, and in this eventthe liquid trap may be interposed between the boiler absorber H and thecondenser l9 as heretofore described, or between the condenser and theevaporator. I From the foregoing it is believed that the advantages andoperation of the invention may be readily understood by those skilled inthe art without further description, it being borne in mind that changesin the details of construction may be made without in any way departingfrom the spirit'of the invention as set out in the following claims. I

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is; g

1. In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the type operatingintermittently in the expulsion and absorption phases, respectively,including a closed system for a refrigerant, said system having aplurality of elements arranged to provide a boiler absorber containingdry salts, a condenser, and an evaporator coupled in series to permitthe refrigerant to be withdrawn from said evaporator and absorbed bysaid dry salts during the absorption phase operation of said apparatus,and to be expelled from said boiler absorber and delivered to saidevaporator during the expulsion phase operation of said apparatusj meansfor preventing the ,return of 'said refrigerant in liquid form from saidevaporator to said boiler absorber, comprising a chamber interposed insaid closed system through which the refrigerant flows on its way to theboiler absorber during the absorption phase operation, and from theboiler absorber to the evaporator during the expulsion phase operation,and means cooperat ing with said chamber for receiving liquidrefrigerant from said evaporator when the apparatus is tilted from itsnormal position.

2. In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the type operatingintermittently in the expulsion and absorption phases, respectively,including a closed system for a refrigerant, said system having aplurality of elements arranged to provide a boiler absorber containingdry salts, a condenser, and an evaporator coupled in series to permitthe refrigerant to be withdrawn from said evaporator and absorbed bysaid dry salts during the absorption phase operation of said apparatusand to be expelled from said boiler absorber and delivered to saidevaporator during the expulsion phase operation of said apparatus;

means for preventing the return of'said refrigerant in liquid form fromsaid evaporator to said boiler absorber, comprising a closed vessel in-'3. Absorption refrigerating apparatus of the type operatingintermittently in the expulsion and absorption phases, respectively,comprising a.

a closed system forthe circulation of a refrigerant,

said closed system including a boiler absorber containing dry saltscapable of absorbing. refrigerant vapors during the absorption phaseoperation of the apparatus and of driving out said vapors during theexpulsion phase operation of the apparatus, a condenser for condensingthe refrigerant vapors driven out during the expulsion phase operation,means connecting said boiler absorber with said condenser, an evaporatorfor said liquid refrigerant, means connecting said condenser with saidevaporator, whereby the condensed refrigerant flows to said evaporatorduring the expulsion phase operation and the refrigerant evaporated insaid evaporator returns to the boiler absorber during the absorptionphase operation of the apparatus, and a liquid collecting trapcooperating with said first named connecting means for preventing thereturn of liquid refrigerant from said evaporator to said boilerabsorber when the apparatus is tilted.

4. Absorption refrigerating apparatus of the type operatingintermittently in the expulsion and absorption phases, respectively,comprising a closed system for the circulation of a refrigerant, 7

said closed system including a boiler absorber containing dry saltscapable of absorbing refrigerantvapors during the absorption phaseoperation of the apparatus and of driving out said refrigerant vaporsduring the expulsion phase operation, a condenser for condensing therefrigerant vapors driven out during the absorption phase operation, achamber disposed between said boiler absorber and said condenser havinga pipe connection to said condenser, a conduit leading from said boilerabsorber and terminating in an inverted U-bend in said chamber, anevaporator for said liquid refrigerant, means connecting said condenserwith said evaporator, whereby the liquid refrigerant is delivered tosaid evaporator during the expulsion phase operation and the refrigerantevaporated in said evaporator returns to said boiler absorber during theabsorption phase operation of the apparatus, a closed vessel arrangedabove said chamber, and a vertical pipe extending from said chamber tosaid vessel,

whereby when the refrigerating apparatus is tilted, the liquidrefrigerant in said evaporator is diverted into and collected in saidvessel.

5. Absorption refrigerating apparatus of the type operatingintermittently in the expulsion and absorption phases, respectively,comprising a closed system for the circulation of a refrigerant, saidclosed system including a boiler absorber containing dry salts capableof absorbing refrigerant vapors during the absorption phase operation ofthe apparatus and of driving out said vapors during the expulsionphaseoperation of the apparatus, a condenser for condensing the refrigerantvapors driven out during the expulsion phase operation, means connectingsaid boiler absorber with said condenser, an evaporator for saidliquid-refrigerant, means connecting said condenser with saidevaporator, whereby the condensed refrigerant flows to said evaporatorduring the expulsion phase operation and the refrigerant evaporated insaid evaporator returns normal position.

to the boiler absorber during the absorption phase operation of theapparatus, and "a liquid collecting trap cooperating with one of saidconnecting means for preventing the return of liquid refrigerant fromsaid evaporator to said boiler absorber when the apparatus is tilted.

6. The combination with absorption refrigerating apparatus of the typeoperating intermittent-- ly in the expulsion and absorption phases,respectively, including at least one closed system for a refrigerant,said system consisting of at least one generator-absorber containingsolid ab-- ,sorbent material, a condenser, and an evaporator, coupled inseries, and means for heating said generator-absorber for the expulsionphase operation of said appara us; of a chamber interposed insaid closedsystem through which chamber the refrigerant evaporated in theevaporator passes on its way to the generator-absorber during theabsorption phase operation, and the refrigerant vapors driven out of thegenerator-absorber during the expulsion phase operation, pass on theirway to the evaporator, and means associated with said chamber forpreventing the flow of liquid refrigerant from the evaporator to thegeneratorabsorber when the apparatus. is tilted from its NI'LS ERLAND AFKLEEN.

